A significant proportion of people own sporty BMWs these days. But what’s driving the massive success of this auto brand? Why are so many people interested in purchasing this type of vehicle?

Well, we don’t know for sure. But we can offer some reasons we think might be driving the trend. Here are some of our thoughts:

The Badge Flex

Perhaps the biggest reason people go to the BMW dealership is the badge flex. Owning one of these vehicles is extremely exciting and a lot of people want it for its status.

Badge flexing is a real phenomenon, especially in the vehicle world. It’s one of the reasons people buy Bentleys and Mercedes. They want to show what they’re able to own and have more street cred than someone who owns, say, a Toyota Camry.

The Rear-Wheel-Drive

Another reason people strive to own BMWs is the fact they’re often real-wheel-drive. It’s a design decision the automaker made decades ago, and it’s largely stuck.

There are, of course, reasons to purchase a front-wheel-drive vehicle, including the safety features and cost-effectiveness. But BMW is a premium, performance brand, so sticking to rear drive just makes a lot of sense.

The Aggression

There’s also the unmistakable aggression of a lot of BMWs. Many of the company’s lines just look angry, giving them even more presence on the road.

Of course, the aesthetics are love or hate. But that doesn’t matter to people who are properly invested in the brand. They just want to experience what it’s like and how it feels to be in a vehicle that totally rocks while offering performance.

The Soundtrack

Speaking of which, BMW is very good at giving some of its high-end and sporty vehicles a soundtrack. Many of them purr like top-end supercars, which is exciting.

For example, the M2 is specifically engineered to sound great and produce crackles and burbles predictably while on the road. It also bangs like a rally car, which is a nice touch for those who prefer to be loud on the road and minimise the amount of sound-proofing used on their vehicles.

The Lease Deals

Perhaps the biggest reason  why so many people now own BMWs is the lease deals. The brand makes it stupidly cheap for people to pay monthly for their cars and include them in their budgets.

Many BMWs are available in the $500 to $600 per month range with a small deposit. That’s affordable for the majority of aspiring people who want to really make progress and show off.

The Practicality

Alongside the status offered by BMWs, though, is the sheer practicality of the option. Many vehicles are ideal for people living in large cities and having to run a lot of errands at the weekend. They’re also suitable for individuals who want to put the golf clubs in the trunk on a Saturday morning or take the bikes to the forest.

So there you have it: some of the reasons why people are still buying BMW cars.